Kö-Bogen, Düsseldorf, Germany

From shops to rooftops

What we have here are a few of Libeskind's trademark sloping gashes in the facade. Beyond that it is a bunch of stacked concrete slabs with a cliched curtain wall added.

The design is purely superficial .... just like its designer.

Mayor of Düsseldorf calls Kö-Bogen 'Project of the Century'

Kö-Bogen, a dynamic new office and retail complex for downtown Düsseldorf, marks an important transition between urban space and landscape. Two city blocks are joined with one continuous roof line, forming a unified space for walking, shopping and working.

Kö-Bogen is situated along the Köenigsallee Boulevard and will relate in height and expression, as well as in façade design and material, to the traditionally-aligned buildings of this great urban space. With its green rooftops, Kö-Bogen helps shape the connection between the Köenigsallee and the Hofgarten, forming one continuous green space from the city center to the great central park. Proportions of glass and stone at Kö-Bogen respond to the adjacent facades at Köenigsallee and this prevalence of natural stone, particularly that of local limestone, strengthens the historical context of the project.

There were several challenges posed by the client, die developer, in realizing the Kö-Bogen project. One of these was the requirement that, due to its historical context, the lines of the building reflect those of the Koenigsallee and Hofgarten. SDL thus created a design that incorporates the city elements, using both straight and curved geometry to reflect the landscape around Kö-Bogen; straight lines are meant to reflect the city context and curved lines are meant to create more fluid connections with the pedestrian environment.

Another challenge posed by the client was the differing requirements for the retail facades and the office facades at Kö-Bogen while still achieving a homogenous appearance. To designate these areas, SDL created subtle variations in the window patterns and glass that appropriately control the different energy restrictions of each office or retail area. To maintain homogeneity, the facades are curved toward the interior courtyards to create a fluid space, linked from east to west by a connecting bridge with roof terrace.

This summer die developer announced that Kö-Bogen had officially secured funding to begin construction in early 2010, a great achievement during such tough economic times.